Entry No. 1 — the Santa Cruz file — filed under: glassblowing
Chris Johnson Glass (Studio Zayante)
A working hot shop tucked into the tiny, one-block historic village of Davenport, 11 miles up the coast — glassblower Chris Johnson describes the craft as "sticking a fork in honey": stop moving the molten glass and it turns to rock in your hands. He apprenticed under Art Ramos in the early '90s and technician'd at the Bay Area Glass Institute before opening this studio in 2006; every September he stages a glass pumpkin patch at the Live Oak Grange where no two pumpkins are alike.
The story
Eleven miles north of Santa Cruz, Davenport shrinks down to a single historic town block. Turn onto Old Coast Road and you'll find Studio Zayante tucked inside the Old Lundberg Studio at 131 Old Coast Road. Glassblower Chris Johnson set up his working hot shop here in 2006, following an apprenticeship under artist Art Ramos in the early 1990s and a stretch as a studio technician at the Bay Area Glass Institute. It stands as the only publicly accessible glassblowing shop on this stretch of the coast.
Johnson describes working molten glass as "sticking a fork in honey"—a relentless dance against heat and gravity. Stop rotating the pipe for a single second and the liquid silica sags off center, cooling into a ruined lump in your hands. Beyond workshop instruction and studio production, Johnson established a local seasonal ritual: every September, he fills the Live Oak Grange with a glass pumpkin patch where no two hand-blown pumpkins are identical.
What it's like
Expect ambient furnace heat, iron benches, and zero corporate buffer. When you step into a workshop or couples session, you aren't watching through a window—you're at the bench choosing colors, handling tools, and turning molten glass yourself. The practical catch is thermal physics: molten glass has to settle overnight in an annealing oven to avoid stress-fracturing, meaning you won't take your piece home in your car that afternoon. You'll need to return the following day to pick up your finished work once it has completely cooled.
The move: Book the introductory couples session: you each pick a simple form (a bird, a heart) and one of five color combos, get a safety and tool rundown, then step up to the bench together to shape molten glass into a finished piece — it cools overnight and you pick it up the next day.
- 📍 Davenport
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 131 Old Coast Road, Davenport, CA 95017
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Old Lime Kiln Ruins — Pair high-temperature glassmaking on the coast with a forest walk to these moss-covered 19th-century stone kilns tucked in Fall Creek.
- Mountain Spirit — Swap hand-blown molten glass for raw quartz and polished minerals at this long-running rock shop hidden in the Felton redwoods.
- The River Run at Brookdale Lodge — Trade the dry heat of the glass furnace for a historic San Lorenzo Valley lodge built directly over a flowing mountain stream.
Good to know
Where is the studio located?
It sits at 131 Old Coast Road in Davenport, California, roughly 11 miles north of Santa Cruz in the Old Lundberg Studio.
What happens during an introductory couples session?
You each pick a simple form (like a bird or a heart) and one of five color combinations, receive a tool and safety walkthrough, and then work at the bench together to shape molten glass.
Can I take my glass piece home right after my session?
No. Hot glass requires an overnight stay in an annealing furnace to cool down slowly without cracking, so pick up is scheduled for the next day.
What is the glass pumpkin patch event?
Every September, Chris Johnson stages a showcase at the Live Oak Grange featuring hundreds of hand-blown glass pumpkins, each crafted with distinct colors and shapes.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · tpgonlinedaily.com · Yelp · santacruz.org · classbento.com · airbnb.com
last checked: 2026-07-20